1.4 Enzymes

• what are hormones?

  chemical messengers that travels in the blood (e.g. insulin).
• what are enzymes?


  Biological catalysts that speeds up chemical reactions
• what do you call the part of an enzyme that is complementary to its specific substrate?

  Active site
• what is the word that describes the fact that each enzyme only acts on one substrate?


  Specific
• what is formed at the end of an enzyme controlled reaction?

  Products (and an unchanged enzyme)
• what type of reaction is it when an enzyme builds up large molecules from smaller molecules?

  synthesis reaction

  A)

  
• what type of reaction is it when an enzyme breaks down large molecules from smaller molecules?

  degradation reaction

  
• what are the 2 factors that affects enzyme activity?

  Temperature and pH.
• how does temperature affects enzyme activity?

  -at LOW temperatures, the enzyme activity is low.

  -as temperature INCREASES, so does the rate of reaction until it reaches its optimum (ideal) temperature. this is when enzyme activity is at its highest.

  -after this point, enzyme activity decreases.

  -at HIGH temperatures, enzyme becomes DENATURED, which means the active site changes shape and the substrate can no longer fit. and no reaction will occur.
• how does pH affects enzyme activity?

  -all enzymes have a particular pH at which they work best at (aka optimum pH)

  -if the pH varies too much from the optimum then the enzyme wil become denatured.